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Ageless Arts Tattoo’s licensed tattoo artists are enamored with the concept of permanence. They know that their detailed, custom artwork will function as meaningful signifiers in their clients’ lives for years to come, and they don’t take their job lightly. For evidence that their work is top-notch, look no further than the studio’s gallery of carefully drawn designs. From breathtaking portraits in black ink to cartoonish renditions of video-game characters, these designs showcase a high level of artistry and, in some cases, a sense of humor. Not to be outdone, the studio’s piercers use only surgical-implant-grade materials for their body piercings. Their jewelry ranges from traditional hoops and studs to more radical selections, such as spikes and dangling vials of zombie blood.

Piercing Pagoda in Chicago Ridge offers a wide variety of jewelry pieces that are sure to impress your loved one.
With available parking nearby, Piercing Pagoda is easily accessible by car.
When you're ready to expand your jewelry collection, some great pieces are waiting for you at Piercing Pagoda in Chicago Ridge.

Knowing that tattooing is one of the ultimate forms of self-expression, Firehouse Tattoos' artists understand the importance of each line and every dot of pigment they leave on client skin. They meticulously put those lines and pigments together to craft realistic portraits, as well as flights of fancy such as cartoons and mythical creatures. Besides tattoo services, they also execute professional piercings of everything from bellybuttons to cheeks.

Head to The Patio Beauty Salon in Kankakee and treat your nails to a luxury makeover.
Tired of flat or frizzy hair? Head on over to this salon and enjoy a relaxing hair remedy, such as hair cuts.
This salon is happy to save you from any store-bought tans. With trained professionals offering services including tanning beds, spray tan, and airbrush tan, you won't need to be orange ever again.
Indulge in a full-service mani and pedi experience from a talented nail tech at this salon and leave feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Everyone will be complimenting your nails after your appointment at The Patio Beauty Salon.

The talented team at Mistress of the Arts Salon casts a wide net when looking for clientele. According to their Facebook profile, they like working with "people who want to be fabulous." The road to that glamorous goal can take many different routes, from haircuts and color treatments for both men and women to radio-frequency facials and cellulite treatments that tighten and smooth skin. The staff also administers piercings, then sends clients home with titanium jewelry and complimentary air to fill the holes.

Chipped nail polish? Swing in Oak Park's Ink Upgrade for a quick polish change.
From daring polish colors to trendy nail designs, this salon offers guests a variety of nail care services to match their personal preference.
Spice up your hairstyle at this salon, a fashion-forward salon that aims to please.
For nails that have never looked better, Ink Upgrade takes the cake in quality, service, and style.

Groupon Guide

Even decades later, people remember a lot about the day they got their ears pierced. We have proof. On Groupon’s Facebook page, we asked people to share their ear-piercing stories—and hundreds of hyper-specific responses flooded in. Many noted the exact year and mall where it happened; others remembered the precise numbing methods used (ice, clothespins, and extended pinching all made cameos).Why exactly is ear piercing so memorable? There’s the pain factor, of course—although that wasn’t an issue for Facebook user Tiffany Mc, whose piercing story was “8 months old, didn’t even wake up.” Then there’s the politics. Take Facebook user Chris Shaw, for instance, who was in sixth grade at a Catholic school when she decided to get her ears pierced. The principal, a nun, told her to take the earrings out and called her dad when she refused. “He picked me up, and I went to public school in the fall,” Chris said.
So why is getting your ears pierced such a hot-button issue for some? Is there a perfect age to get it done? How does tradition play into the decision? To answer these questions, we talked to people close to the issue, including a teenager, a pediatrician, and a grandma (who wants her granddaughter’s ears pierced already!).
Is Your Kid Ready?These questions might help you decide if it’s time for earrings.Do you know all the options?
Metal piercings are available at every shopping-mall piercing boutique, but they require regular twisting and alcohol-swabbing afterward. Dr. Donald Brown of Streeterville Pediatrics in Chicago, who’s been piercing ears for more 15 years, noted that they’re not the only option—he and his team use piercings made of surgical-grade medical plastic.
“Not only do you not have to worry about any of the reactions to the metal itself, there’s basically no aftercare,” he said. “You don’t have to twist them, alcohol them.” You just have to leave the initial piercing in for six weeks.If your kid gets metal piercings, who will handle aftercare?Groupon writer Kelly MacDowell first got her ears pierced as a baby, but she got a second piercing around age 13. “Cleaning the piercings until they were properly healed taught me a little about maintaining a daily routine,” she said. When babies get their ears pierced, cleaning duties fall to the parents. “With all the other caretaking you have to do with an infant [or] toddler, who wants to add cleaning their ears every single day on top of that?” said Groupon writer Aimee Algas Alker, who’s mom to a toddler.Is having your baby’s ears pierced an important tradition in your culture?
Dr. Brown said that “down in Argentina—many patients have told me this—they have hospital piercers and hospital barbers. Almost every [newborn] girl … they have their ears pierced, and every boy gets their head shaved because they believe it grows thicker [afterward].”Aimee added that ear piercing for babies is also a traditional part of Filipino culture, and Facebook user Lisa Russo-Reitzner noted that, for some Italian families, it’s common to pierce a girl’s ears before her baptism. “You wear earrings from Italy with your white christening gown,” Lisa said.“Worldwide, [ear piercing is] a very, very common thing to do early on,” Dr. Brown said.Or would you rather start a new tradition?Aimee’s mom, Elsie Algas, wishes her granddaughter had gotten her ears pierced as a baby, but Aimee and her husband want to create a new ear-piercing tradition. “We're kind of excited about making it a whole rite of passage, [taking] her to the mall and [having] lunch at the food court—classic Americana,” Aimee said.For Aimee, this tradition-to-be has an important principle behind it. “It's her body, not ours—what if she never wants them pierced? Also … why is this just a girl thing? To get deep on you, it's one example of how women's bodies aren't treated as their own.”Do you think you can be too old to get your ears pierced?
Groupon editor Shannon Grilli has never gotten her ears pierced. While she believes there’s no age where it’s across-the-board “too late,” she thinks it might be too late for her. “I've gone so many years without wearing [earrings] that I think it would be a hard transition. Putting them in, taking them out, coordinating them with outfits … all things that I'm just not into.” So What Is the Right Age?Dr. Brown mainly recommends avoiding ages 4–6. At those ages, it’s not uncommon for a child to get scared after the first ear is pierced and refuse to have the second ear done. He noted that 12 is a popular age, but for parents who prefer to do it when their kids are younger, he recommends 4 months, since most babies have had a few tetanus shots by then.Kelly said 12 or 13, the age she got her second piercings, is the ideal age. “I was old enough to know for sure that I wanted it.” High-schooler Lily Binkus recommends 7 or 8. “That’s … when [kids are] going to start to mature a little bit into deciding like, ‘Oh, I want to be this girly-girl’ or not.” Groupon Facebook commenters got their ears pierced, on average, at age 10. The age range was huge, though—some got theirs pierced the day they were born, others waited until their mid-40s.Aimee said 7. “It's a good number. Just old enough to understand that it hurts and that newly pierced ears need daily care.”Elsie, Aimee’s mom, still thinks it’s best to pierce the ears of infants. “When they're a few months old, they … won't be hurting the same way they would if they're 6 years old. They won't remember it.”Photo illustration by Mark Mills, GrouponWe got opinions on other milestone style decisions:What's the Right Age to Start Wearing Makeup?Is 12 too young? 14? We asked makeup artists, parents, a teenager, and a high-school guidance counselor to weigh in. Moms and Stylists Share Their Tips for Tantrum-Free Kids' HaircutsShould you bring treats? What about an iPad?

It was my senior year of high school, and I was feeling extra rebellious. So I did what my father had expressly forbid me from doing: I got a small nose stud. Years later, I still think it looks cute—but the world of piercing has definitely changed. My stud was a scandal when I revealed it to my family and friends. Nowadays, nose studs are some of the most common (and tame) piercings out there. What’s new and hip? I spoke to Molly Bennett, co-owner and piercer at Identity Body Piercing in Chicago, to find out.FAVIN: What are some new, trendy piercings that you’ve been seeing?
MOLLY BENNETT: A lot of stuff recycles. Noses have been totally in this last year as a “new-old” piercing. As for newer styles, a lot of people like to do a large cluster-style piece—multiple gemstones but one piercing—in their conch, which is the inside flat part of your ear. [We also see a lot of] double or triple helix piercings, which are two or three plain studs or earrings along the rim of your ear. We don’t see much simple jewelry. A lot of people come in looking for ornamental stuff. [Even] people who come in for rings ask for rings with gemstones in them or rings with a scalloped pattern.FAVIN: How do you think piercings are perceived nowadays?
MB: Some piercings are still a little edgy to people—when you stretch out your ears to a large size, you’ll get a few looks—but it’s become a lot more accepted. Same with tattoos. Our client base is really diverse from person to person: we get doctors coming in, and we get students coming in.FAVIN: I have a little silver stud in my nose, but it’s been there for so long that I’m getting a little bored with it. Is there any way to dress it up and make it glam? MB: For sure. Nostril piercings are probably our number-one piercing that we do, and we get a lot of people coming in for large, ornamental pieces. Some like to put genuine diamonds in their nostrils. Just the other day we put a diamond floret in someone’s nose—seven diamonds set together in a flower pattern. A lot of people love rocking just a plain gold ring. ... [You could also] get a little chain that runs from your nose to your ear. Above, some awesome nose jewelry from Molly’s shop!
FAVIN: What do you tell people who want a piercing but are scared of getting one?
MB: When you’re scared to get a piercing, it’s always the anticipation that’s more painful than the actual piercing. Our head piercer on staff, Cuba, is a freehand piercer, so he doesn’t use clamps or tools that pinch the skin. It’s a lot less painful, [and] he’s really fast. A lot of people, by the time they’re like, “Is it gonna hurt?”, it’s over. FAVIN: I still have to ask: what’s the most painful place to get a piercing?
MB: We get that question from every other person that walks in our door. Everyone’s pain tolerance is incredibly different, so it’s a hard question to answer. We get people that say their cartilage piercing hurt way worse than getting a navel piercing, and other people say they’d get their cartilage pierced a million times over getting their navel pierced. It’s really different from person to person. FAVIN: What are people’s most common piercing mistakes, whether it’s not researching a shop well enough or not following aftercare instructions?MB: It’s always good to research the shop you’re going to and make sure the sterilization is up to date. But definitely [the most common mistakes happen with] aftercare. Back in the day, when I [first] got my ears pierced, we were told to clean them with alcohol. [But] you’re really not supposed to touch them with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. We get a lot of people doing that, and it irritates the piercing. FAVIN: What should you use instead?
MB: Hot water is your secret weapon, and sea-salt soaks. We sell a spray version and also give you a recipe to make your own.FAVIN: Do you have a favorite piercing?
MB: It sounds silly, but I really do love my nostril piercing. I go between plain gold beaded shapes and Swarovski-crystal florets—very sparkly flower patterns. I also have stretched ears, and I love getting big, blingy jewelry for them. In recent years, I’ve gotten pierced just because I fell in love with a piece of jewelry.FAVIN: Speaking of jewelry, can you tell me about tooth gems? I saw some cool pictures of them on your Facebook page. MB: Tooth gems got really big overseas in Europe. They’re called smile gems, tooth gems, tooth bling … there are a lot of different names for them. It’s perfectly safe for the tooth, all we do is use a dental adhesive. It’s stuck on pretty much the same way that braces are stuck to teeth. There’s no drilling or permanence to them—it’s just a temporary little jewel. We have everything from basic crystals in clear colors to yellow-gold and white-gold gems. They’re pretty addicting!FAVIN: What does your dentist say about them?
MB: Our dentist actually trained us how to do them!
FAVIN: OK, after talking to you, I really feel like I need to trade in my nose stud for something fabulous. MB: Go for it!
This interview has been condensed and edited. Top photo by Andrew Nawrocki, Groupon; other images courtesy of Identity Body Piercing.
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